Life After Death
by paronomastic
Summary: "Rest easy, sir, rest easy – I'll love Gwen—and cherish her – as long as I live!" Peter promises Captain Stacy before he dies to always love Gwen. Unfortunately, Captain Stacy cares more about Gwen's safety than her happiness and forces Peter to promise to stay away. This is the struggle to keep that promise... Pulling from the films & comics - I AM NOT STAN LEE; I don't own this.
1. Promises Kept

The past two years had been exceptionally challenging for Peter Parker. If it were just the passing of his uncle Ben, or just the untimely death of Captain Stacy it would have been one thing, unfortunately the 24 months that had passed seemed to be packed full of death, heart break, and pain. It was more than luck that had Peter alive, but the assistance of his aunt May's nursing skills definitely played a big part. No teenage boy should be hurt as often as Peter was, but in his line of work, it was to be expected. A pizza delivery boy didn't get him his bruises, it was his other job – the job he had no choice in taking or leaving. This job left him wishing he could know what it was like to be in love and actually enjoy it. This unrequited business was not his cup of tea, at all.

The year his uncle died was the hardest without a doubt. Peter still battled daily with the fact it was his fault. Knowing his uncle Ben would be alive if his teenage rage hadn't gotten the best of him is a guilt he will never suppress. The death of the police captain was the second hardest. He didn't know the man very well, but it was his daughter that paid the price for Peter's handiwork. If it weren't for Peter's interference, Curt Connors never would have turned into the beast that killed the girl's father. Peter would have never had to make the promise to stay away, in turn making his life entirely miserable. With Curt Connors in prison, his aunt May working on somewhat of a normal life, and his own secret unknown to all but Gwen, Peter had honestly tried to make a somewhat simple life for himself. Unfortunately, fate scoffed at his desire for simplicity, and due to his prior indiscretions, he was faced with more enemies.

Curt Connors' old college roommate, Alistaire Smyth, had taken to Oscorp after the lizard king abandoned ship. Dr. Smyth was kind enough to keep the knowledgeable Gwen Stacy employed, having found her beauty, charm, wit, and intelligence to be the complete package in his eyes. Her work with Connors had made her a prized possession for anyone at the company, and it didn't hurt that she had connections to Richard Parker's son. Unknown to all, Alistaire was not the charming doctor everyone thought him to be. Much like the angry lizard his old roommate turned out to be, Smyth found himself enraged with this hybrid, half-man half-spider. All his work and energy had turned from his typical work in robotics to work fueled by vengeance. Creating small robots whose job it was to kill all hybrids created by Connors, it was Spider-man whose life needed to be destroyed most. With the snooping of Miss Stacy, this master mind was swiftly destroyed, along with his army of hybrid killing robots.

Two years had passed, in which two important figures at Oscorp were taken down by Gwen and Spider-man. At the age of 20, Peter Parker had found himself longing for a life of boredom unlike the rest of his college classmates. Spider-man was a shining hero in the eyes of everyone he knew; even Gwen's mother had praised the man that ultimately was responsible for her husband's death. The people at The Daily Bugle and Gwen Stacy seemed to be the only ones not pleased with this masked vigilante and for that, Peter continued to mourn. He mourned daily for his uncle Ben, for Captain Stacy, for Alistaire Smyth despite his desire to kill him. He mourned for his parents and their friend Curt Connors who while alive, would never be able to have coffee with Peter and reminisce about Richard and Mary. Mainly, he mourned the relationship that died before it could really live. His first and only love had come and gone faster than a hummingbird and with it his happiness. He mourned daily, knowing that his happiness would cease to thrive while Gwen Stacy ignored him.

She had come to him a handful of times since their unspoken break up. First, to demand an explanation as to why he suddenly avoided her after her father's death. Second, to demand he stop honoring a dead man's last wish that kept them apart. Third, to demand he stop putting his life in danger for a city that didn't care about him. She had told him that day for the first and last time that she loved him. Fourth, to demand he come to Oscorp and destroy the robots and their master before they could kill him. The last time was to demand a pizza, but Peter wasn't counting that time seeing as she probably had no idea who she was talking to on the phone. That last time was fifteen minutes ago, and according to his watch, he only had fifteen minutes to spare otherwise her food would be free.

Peter walked briskly from his bicycle to the dorms, the warming case in one arm and his iPod in the other, shuffling through songs until he found one he could live with. Nodding his head to the music as he pressed the intercom to alert Gwen of his arrival, he opened the lobby door and continued nodding to the music while he walked through the halls filled with giggling girls. He had a few flirtatious glances between the first and third floor, but none of them had really mattered. Sure, he was a 20-year-old man, but he was a sullen one and uninterested in burying his sadness into one of the all-too-easy undergraduates throwing themselves at any man they could while screaming something about sexual equality. Stopping in front of Gwen's dorm room, he quickly ran a nervous hand through his hair and pulled out his ear buds before quickly knocking on the wood.

"Pizz—uhhh, hey buddy…" As the door opened, the face behind it did not appear to be Gwen's. Did he have the wrong room? Glancing in, the blonde girl sat on her bed, flipping through a text book as she ignored the open door. Instead, his old high school bully stood in front of Peter with payment in hand. The two had become civil, and almost friendly with one another, but his presence had quickly destroyed any hope of them being buds.

"Flash.. hey, what's up—oh, here's this, and thanks." Reaching out to hand over the food and pluck the money out of the other man's hand, the only thing Peter could feel glad for in the moment was Eugene's shock. Stealing another glance to the bed before leaving, Peter's heart found it's all too rapid pattern of beating as Gwen stared back at him. That made three equally shocked individuals. Nodding to her, he quickly left, finding his fast walking even faster now. It took all he had not to leap out the window, and scale down the dorm's walls to get out of there fast enough.

_Perhaps Gwen is still tutoring Flash_… Yes, that was a far more logical reason behind his presence in her dorm room. The only other reasoning was far too vomit inducing to contemplate. Obviously Gwen was too gorgeous of a woman to be alone for the rest of her life, but that didn't mean she had to move on from Peter so quickly. Armed now with the desire to fight fire with fire, Peter found himself feeling something for his ex-girlfriend besides longing for the first time in over a year. Shoving his iPod back into his pocket as he exited the building, he pulled his phone out of another pocket and quickly slid it open to reveal the keyboard he used for texting. Yanking his bike off the ground, more forceful than necessary, he felt a small tinge of guilt instead of the satisfaction he was going for as he hit send.

**MJ – free tonight?**

Waiting a few moments to see if she'd speedily reply like normal, he shoved the phone back in his pocket and pulled the iPod back out. Scoffing loudly as he hit play, his finger moved to turn the music up to blast in his ears as loud as the device allowed. Hybrid Moments – how appropriate.

The loud music blaring in his ears gave Peter the fuel to pedal as hard as humanly possible back to the Pizza Shack. He hoped the exercise and overly amped noise in his ears would cancel out his thoughts, but there was no such luck. The thought of Gwen and Flash eating pizza together flooded his head. Followed immediately by the athletic man throwing her text books off her bed and slamming her against the mattress, and him against her. Jolted physically by the image, Peter quickly realized it wasn't the thought that threw him, it was momentum. Physics had him flying over his handle bars, over a quickly stopped vehicle, and into traffic. Landing with spider-like reflexes, he quickly looked around before running back to his bike and dragging the now broken means of transport to the sidewalk. A handful of people stopped to ask if he was okay, one woman suggesting he go to the hospital in case he was hurt.

_You should probably go to the nurse. You might have a concussion._

The reminder of this send chills down his spine, and brought hot tears to prickle his eyes. Shaking his head to the people, he ignored them and left as abruptly as he'd arrived. Putting the mangled frame over his shoulder as best as he could, Peter walked the last seven blocks to work, trying a bit harder this time to pay attention to traffic before crossing the street.

Reaching into his vibrating pocket as he walked through the back door of the pizza place, Peter dropped the facility's bicycle on the floor before heading into the boss' office. Sliding open the screen of his phone, the reply from Mary Jane Watson didn't bring a smile to his face like any normal red-blooded boy. She was free tonight, and wanted to get together. That was exactly the reply he texted her in hopes of getting, so why was he still miserable? Looking up at the old gray haired, too fat to be healthy man asleep at his desk, Peter tossed part of the handle bar from the deceased bike onto Sal's desk, the noise making the husky man wake up suddenly.

"Another MVA, Sal. Bike lost."

Leaving the office without another word, Peter opened the door to the break room and immediately started coughing with the cloud of smoke that smothered him. Wafting through it to get to the lockers, he couldn't suppress the hacking cough as his two pothead co-workers continued smoking, adding more smoke to the collection. Pulling his skateboard out and throwing his work jacket in, Peter slammed the doors as he left, finding himself even more annoyed than when he first arrived.

_Think, think, think._

There was a party tonight at Kappa Delta something or other. Flash never passed on fraternity parties, and if he was going, surely his girlfriend would come. Gwen never seemed big on parties – the music was too loud, the drinking made everyone stupid, and the amount of people in one small space surely wasn't abiding by fire code. Still, she couldn't say no to her boyfriend, could she? If in fact Flash and Gwen were together, she'd be forced to go out of obligation.

**MJ – party tonight. You in?**

Smirking to himself after hitting send, Peter let his board drop to the ground as his phone returned to his pocket. Swerving around pedestrians as he made his way back towards his house, the boy couldn't help but wonder if letting Gwen go, for real this time, would be beneficial. It would be a lot less exhausting if he didn't have to constantly pine for someone so unattainable. To let go of his unrequited love for Miss Stacy would mean he could pay homage to Captain Stacy, and keep away from Gwen for good. He could keep her safe. Wasn't that the whole reason he agreed in the first place? His genuine love for the girl meant he'd do what was best for her no matter what. Still, moving on completely seemed impossible. Not just for the simple fact he would love the bubbly blonde for the rest of his life, but for the simple fact he always thought about her. He tried to stop, it never worked. Staying away was one thing; it was out of love, not necessity. To forget her existence seemed impossible. Dragging his foot to stop at a busy intersection, Peter vibrated back to reality, his phone alerting him once more.

**Petey – sounds great! What time?**

**MJ – 7? We can grab food then go**

**Petey—awesome! It's a date!**

Of course it was. Groaning to himself, Peter shoved the phone back in his pocket before skating across the street and continuing on his way to his home. Mary Jane was a lot of things, but datable was not one of them. Not to Peter, anyway. Tons of guys would kill to be with her, and for obvious reasons. The red-head was beautiful, that was a given. Her curves were worthy of a road sign, and while her wardrobe wasn't that of a stripper, it definitely left little to the imagination. The constant push to date her had finally broke through, surely aunt May and Anna, Mary Jane's aunt, would be all too pleased. MJ was definitely not the 'girl next door' you expected. The understated beautiful neighbor girl that was masked as a great childhood friend who later manifested into the epic love interest was clearly Gwen Stacy. Still, fate would have it that Mary Jane Watson would land on his neighboring porch.

Picking up his skateboard when he arrived at home, Peter ran up the stairs and inside, slamming the door and dropping the board in the foyer. Hollering his hello to his aunt as he ran up to his bedroom, Peter let that door slam behind him as well as he hopped onto his computer. Searching his emails for the last one from Gwen, he quickly re-read it. It was a pattern he'd developed a while ago, and while he had memorized it months ago, it was still like he was reading it the first time every time. This time, however, he actually hit reply. Clearing out the previous message portion, he re-addressed it and paused to think about what to write as his fingers idly tapped against the keyboard.

**Miss Stacy,**

**Hope you and your boyfriend enjoyed your pizza. Maybe you two can**  
**run off together and live in a chocolate house happily ever after?**

**P.S. find a new pizza place**

**Sincerely,**

**Bug Boy**


	2. Til Kingdom Come

Gwen had spent the last 18 months trying to set her feelings aside and ignore the dull aching in her chest – the constant reminder of the she lost. It was difficult - being in love with a man whose existence was the primary cause of her father's demise. She knew it wasn't Peter that stabbed her father in the heat of the moment, but he was the cause for Curt Connors' mutation and in turn, the reason behind her father dying. Every day brought on a new rationalization for the love that refused to go away despite it being tied to her deceased dad. Captain George Stacy could have been killed by anyone, hypothetically speaking. Some drunk driver on his way home from the store; a disgruntled, armed robber while he went to the bank; the number of criminals he put behind bars that had a score to settle with him. The fact of the matter lingered still – Peter Parker was the reason her father was gone.

Harder still was the fact that she knew Spider-man was the cause of the police captain's death, yet she couldn't stop feeling the way she felt about him. Boys had come and gone for the beautiful girl, yet no one mattered the way Peter did. From the moment she stumbled into him in the crowded hallways of their freshman year of high school, Gwen knew that the awkward boy was special. Unintentionally knocking her books out of her hand, the shy boy scurried to collect all the discarded items she dropped and nervously handed them back, stuttering an apology as his eyes faltered in looking at hers. Time after time, he presented the courage that no one else had in standing up to bullies like Flash Thompson, and time after time she fell harder and harder for him. She could count on one hand the number of times they kissed, but for the life of her she couldn't recall ever being kissed by anyone else that way. Something about Peter had caused every detail of him, of them together, to engrain itself into her. She wondered if this was her fate – to live with this undying love for a man who was never going to be able to be with her.

She thought after the battle against Alistaire and his robots the two of them might actually come together once more, but that unwavering devotion still lingered in Peter's eyes. The one she saw when she went to see him after her father's funeral. There weren't many things in life you could assure, and Gwen's safety was definitely not one of them, yet somehow Peter had vowed to keep her safe and in doing so, solidify their status as star crossed lovers. Not thinking of Peter Parker was an impossible task for Gwen, but busying herself with books had made it a little easier. For the past two weeks it had gotten somewhat easier after Flash Thompson showed up at the table she had been eating lunch and asked her to go out on a date with him. For two solid weeks the two had spent time together, going on walks, talking about nothing of real interest, eating together, watching horrible movies, and fighting attraction. Flash was definitely easy on the eyes, but his disinterest in the things that inspired Gwen, such as science and the various projects she worked on at Oscorp, made connecting with the muscular man a little difficult. For Flash, the challenge was keeping his hands off the incredibly irresistible young woman, wondering if her intelligence had made her that much more immune to his charm and good looks. Most girls fought each other to catch his eye, but with Gwen, he actually had to work for her attention.

With the speedy arrival and departure of Peter the delivery boy, Gwen and Flash had become completely silent, and stayed that way through the duration of their meal. Unable to focus on her school books, Gwen found herself back at square one – the sudden glimpse of her former flame had made her a giggling 14-year-old again. It was quite embarrassing. Finishing a few slices before dismissing Flash, promising she would see him later for the party he had somehow managed to talk her into going to with him, Gwen hurriedly grabbed her robe and towel to head off for a long shower.

Singing in the empty bathroom in the middle of the day was the only peace Gwen could find while at the busy college. She constantly contemplated taking her mother up on the offer to come home and keep her and her brothers company. It seemed silly paying room and board when she lived ten minutes away, but it was the whole college experience she was interested in getting. The idea that rooming with a total stranger, sharing a bathroom with dozens of girls, and fighting for a decent internet connection would somehow bring out her inner social butterfly was absolutely absurd. Still, she was giving it a couple semesters until she concluded that it was hopeless. This was her third semester, and she was sure by the end of the fourth she was probably going to "accidentally" let one of her science projects blow up the entire dorm.

Drying off before wrapping the robe around her and the towel around her head, Gwen set off to her room, once more dancing around people in the crowded hallway. Why did people have dorm _rooms_ if they just decided to stay in the hall? Honestly, people were impossible to understand. Turning on her macbook while she let herself dry off and contemplate what to wear for the ridiculous frat party later that evening, she studied her assignment list before checking her e-mail.

Heart failure.

Seeing an actual e-mail from Peter Parker after months of no correspondence was surely a mistake. Double checking the name before opening it, she re-read the actual e-mail address several times before looking at the message itself. The icy tone of the letter sent actual chills down her spine. When did Peter Parker become heartless? _Chocolate House_. That wasn't heartless, that was heartbroken. She knew the man had remembered every detail of them just as she had, and while it would normally send waves of excitement through her, she knew it was pointless to be excited for such a sentiment. Hope was a very dangerous thing, and she'd spent far too long hoping for something more with Peter Parker. Shaking her head as she continued to stare at the e-mail, she wondered what to write. Leaving the computer for a while to get dressed and blow dry her hair, Gwen had idly hoped inspiration would hit her mid-preparation.

Blow drying her hair to get it straight all over, Gwen chose a simple black headband to match her modest black and tan dress she opted to wear. Letting her clothes lay out while she sat in her robe a while longer, Gwen let her mind wander to the possibility of Peter being at the party tonight. Something romantic like in the classic films where a crowded room ceremoniously parts to show him at one end, and her at the other. They could run to each other, confess their undying love and have an absolutely epic kiss to seal their never ending devotion. Shaking her head clear of such thoughts, she looked back to her computer. She might as well expect unicorns and flying pigs at the party, it was probably more likely. Returning to her computer desk, the taunting e-mail still staring at her, Gwen finally hit reply.

**Dear Peter Benjamin Parker,**

**I do believe your parents, aunt and uncle, and schooling taught you better manners.  
I will not find a new establishment seeing as Pizza Shack is timely with their deliveries,  
cheap with their pay, and downright delicious in their execution.**

Also, what I do or don't do and who I date or don't date is none of your concern. Please  
refer to your e-mail in which you said we could never be together. Point made.

P.S. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, that was a terrible way to find out.

Respectfully Yours,  
Mayor of Chocolate Town

Smiling at her sign off before hitting send, Gwen closed her laptop once she looked at the time and hurried to pull on her black above the knee socks and knee high tan boots. Applying the little makeup she wore, she tugged on her dress and grabbed her purse before flying out the door and downstairs. Flash was rarely punctual, so the fact she was cutting it so close wouldn't matter, but Miss Punctuality couldn't chance being late if her life depended on it. Cursing herself as soon as she realized how chilly it was, she debated running back up to grab a cardigan but stopped as she was surprisingly taken back by Flash's timely arrival. Glancing at her skinny watch, she smiled brightly at the boy as her head turned just in time to avoid his lips touching hers. Kissing his cheek as well, Gwen tucked her arm around his and nodded towards the street.

"Shall we?"

With a quiet dinner at her favorite Mediterranean restaurant down from her dorm, Flash and Gwen enjoyed a light supper before begrudgingly heading to the party of the man's choice. The point of fraternity or sorority parties was unseen to the girl, the reasoning behind an obscene amount of people getting together, dancing to awful music, and drinking to excess made no sense. Still, Flash had been so kind to do things Gwen wanted in the past week, she found it unfair to deny him this one night of stupidity. Sighing heavily as they came upon the house, clearly the party had already spilled outside. Stealing a glance at her watch, she realized it was only 9 o'clock, and this was definitely going to be a long night. Kicking a red plastic cup out of the way as they walked into the house, Flash immediately abandoned her in search for beer. Reminding herself it was meant to be a chivalrous act, she did her best to quietly observe the locals and their customs.

The couple making out on the heavily occupied staircase were clearly setting out mating calls. The girls giggling in the corner, cups still full, faces overly caked with makeup, and shorts small enough to tell they weren't wearing underwear were giving the distinct impression that they wanted to be welcomed into this strange society. The gathering of men in the adjacent room were enjoying some bonding ritual, a circle chanting on as two already intoxicated 'brothers' wrestled each other's arms to see who was the strongest. Yeah, even with a sociological approach, this night was still going to be daunting. Turning as her arm was grabbed carefully, she eagerly accepted the beer from her date before returning to observe the villagers. Beer had never been an interest for Gwen, but if it took the edge off this depressingly mundane evening, she was willing to give it a whirl.

Cringing as a high-pitched squeal rung out somewhere behind her, Gwen stumbled slightly as her arm was shoved and a busty red-head threw her arms around Flash. Despite not being close to falling, she found herself held by the waist anyway, surely some drunk man had wanted any excuse to get friendly. Turning to see the owner, arm raised and ready to swing, the blonde stopped herself as she looked at Peter. It had been close to a year since she'd been so close to him, and probably more so since he dared to extend his arm to touch her, even in an unromantic gesture such as this. From her increased proximity, she could see the small changes in the man that she had failed to notice earlier that day with his surprise arrival at her dorm. He didn't look tired, but his eyes looked exhausted, something behind them were clearly haunted. It was a look she was all too familiar with and partially why she avoided mirrors at all costs.

"I thought you were going to fall."

Nodding at his explanation as to why he felt the need to grab her, Gwen realized without intentionally meaning to, she had toned out everyone in the crowded house except Peter. It was very cinematic, indeed. Smiling as she reached up to push his disheveled hair away from his right eye, Gwen let her hand fall to the boy's shoulder before raking down his arm. Brushing her fingers against his, she took all the sensations they brought eagerly, tying them to her memory in the moment. Finding her bottom lip between her teeth, she was shaken back to the reality around her as Flash grabbed her waist. His hand on her hip was much less welcome than Peter's a moment before. Now, the busty red-head that almost knocked her over in route to Flash was now hanging on _her _bug boy. Who was this slutty ginger in the skin tight black mini dress and why was she trying to surgically implant herself on Peter Parker!?

"Gwen, this is Mary Jane Watson. I guess Flash already knows her…?"

Gwen smiled at the skeptical look Peter was giving Flash in that moment, clearly oblivious to the tramp on her friend's arm giving her a death glare. Forcing her eyes to fall on gingwhore when she finally spoke, Gwen found the girl's voice to be the utmost annoying shade of hideous.

"So! You're Gwen Stacy! Petey has told me like.. so much about you! You didn't do her justice, babe! You're so pretty.."

Unable to determine whether that was a thinly veiled insult or an actual compliment, Gwen simply nodded at the girl and _Petey..?! _What the hell was this broad smoking? Glancing to Flash who was clearly enthralled with the amount of cleavage this Mary Jane character was presenting, her eyes wandered back to Peter whose gaze hadn't moved from Gwen's face. Smiling sweetly at him, she felt his hand on hers urging the girl to move forward. Leaning in as Peter moved forward, they left Flash and the stripper to talk about whatever uneducated people conversed over.

"I wish we could get out of here, the smell of all this beer and hormones is making me sick to my stomach."

Peter's whispered comment against Gwen's ears sent chills down her spine in the same fashion his previous e-mail had, only these were warm, and had a direct connection to her libido. Laughing quietly as her hand tightened on Peter's, the blonde nodded, her loose hair falling like a veil between them.

"I hear Chocolate Town is good this time of year."

"Is that right, Miss Mayor?"

Pulling apart as their dates tugged their arms, Peter and Gwen's hands parted as their heads did. Smiling enthusiastically as her cheeks found color, Gwen leaned against Flash before tearing her gaze away from the man she loved.

"I'm going to find the bathroom."

"OH! I know where it is!"

Feeling her arm grabbed by Mary Jane and tugged before she could say another word, Gwen let the high-heeled hussy drag her through a crowd of people to the back of the house. Opening a door to a single bathroom with a handful of stalls, the blonde nodded her thanks before entering the nearest one. She really didn't have to go, she just had to get a moment to herself and out of arms reach of Peter. A year and a half of convincing herself she didn't need to be with the man was shattered to pieces in the matter of five minutes according to her watch. Running her fingers through her hair to shake it to life, Gwen waited a few beats before flushing the toilet. Surprised to see Big Red still waiting for her, Gwen washed her hands and checked her minimal makeup as The Squealer talked.

"Oh Gwen, you have to tell me all you know about Petey. See, his aunt and my aunt are neighbors, so I've pretty much known him for a while, but like when we were younger he was so ugh.. nerdy and gross, but now he's all buff and hunky.. my God! Did you get him while he was still nerdy or did he beef up when you were together? So I know he's super smart and going to college for science stuff or whatever, but like what does he do for fun? I don't think he's had a good day, what with getting hit by a car and all, but like he isn't  
talking. At. All. It's sooo frustrating! Was it like pulling teeth when you guys you know.. talked and whatever? Maybe he just needs to get to know me better…"

Staring at Mary Jane as she rambled on, only pausing to take a breath to look in the mirror and adjust her hair, makeup, and boobs, Gwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was this girl for real?! Why the hell was Peter with this obnoxious slut? Surely the need to have sex wasn't so bad that he lowered his standards to the likes of this tramp. Did she even know how to spell "frustrating"?!

"So yeah! He said you two were like really close, and went to school together forever, but things didn't work out with you two? But you're still like friends and whatever, right? Usually I get sooo jealous when my guy is close with another girl, but Oh. My. God. Flash. I can't believe you're dating him! He's like so ridiculously gorgeous. I could lick the sweat off him, ugh. So, you guys hang out a lot or what? I really like your dress, by the way. It's cute in that vintage, my grandmother owns something like that but it's short enough to say I'm not a senior citizen kind of way."

Gwen wondered if she didn't reply to this incessant twit if the girl would just stop talking. It was highly unlikely, but worth a shot. Walking back through the crowded room to get to the door where they left their respective dates, it appeared as though Flash and Peter had: a.) abandoned them, b.) been kidnapped, or c.) joined the villagers in their customs. The last option reigned supreme as Big Red squealed with delight, Gwen assumed, and ran into the macho man room with the arm wrestlers. Flash was at the table across from a man she'd never seen before and they seemed incredibly enthralled with what was going on. Rolling her eyes, Gwen departed from the foyer to grab fresh air. Leaning against the banister, she looked over the car filled street and wondered how long it would take to hail a taxi to get her back to the dorms.

"If you're swinging my way, I can give you a lift."

Turning to look at Peter, Gwen smiled warmly as her eyes rolled at the comment. She wondered if she was still the only one that knew his secret. Reaching out to grab his hand again, she let her fingers slide up his long sleeved coat and over his wrists. Nothing. Dropping his grasp once again, she turned to look down the road at all the buildings. They were all too short to swing from, though the sentiment was sweet, the probability of their quick escape was impractical. Crossing her arms over her chest, Gwen let out another sigh as she cursed herself for forgetting to grab a cardigan.

"Won't Tits McGee miss you all the way out here? I wasn't aware your leash traveled that far."

Not making eye contact, Gwen couldn't mask the bitterness in her tone as she thought about Peter and Mary Jane together. The girl was a vain idiot, Peter had no right being with her. Then again, Flash was the male equivalent and Gwen was with him. Feeling her body tighten as Peter moved behind her, a genuine smile covered her lips as his coat replaced her goosebumps, covering her arms to give her some shelter from the cool breeze. Moving her arms quickly to shove through the sleeves, she hugged the fabric to her, letting her nose bury itself in the high collar to take in the scent. Peter Parker. Her favorite.

"You know, I don't think my ankle bracelet is out of range yet, so she probably doesn't know. What about Rocky Horror? Is it safe for him to be so far away from the lab?"

Reaching over to smack Peter's arm, Gwen couldn't mask her laugh at his comment. Looking over to take in his playful grin and boyish charm, it took all the strength she had to keep from leaning over and kissing him. Shifting from one foot to the other as she moved closer, unwelcome tears began to cloud her eyes as she looked at this beautiful man that she wanted more than anything in the world, but couldn't have. It was truly tragic. Letting her hand reaching up, breaking the little space between them, Gwen let herself have a moment to remember what it was like to be so close. Brushing her smooth fingertips over his cheek and over his prickly chin, the girl's fingers faltered before brushing a thumb across his full lips. Squeezing her eyes shut as Peter's large hands covered her cheeks, he quickly brushed away the stray teardrops as they made their escape.

"I have to go."

Pulling away from Peter, Gwen moved to look in the window to see if Flash was still busy. He clearly was – busy chatting up the slutty red-head. Turning back to her friend, Gwen quickly wiped a few more tears away before walking past him.

"Tell Flash I went home. Probably soon if you don't want him taking your date with him."

Taking the twelve block walk back to the dorms by herself, Gwen hugged Peter's jacket impossibly tight to her body as more tears stained her cheeks. It was embarrassing, walking past strangers and them wondering why this little blonde girl was crying. With five blocks down, Gwen slipped into a small corner store and grabbed some Cherry Garcia before continuing her trek. Two blocks to go, a bench on the side of the road beckoned her to stop and eat half of the melting pint of frozen yogurt. The tears that had fallen into it made the sweet treat somewhat salty, but edible anyway.

Throwing herself on the bed once she stumbled into her dorm, Gwen set her pint on the nightstand and peeled off Peter's jacket and her boots and tights. Swapping her dress for a nightgown, she noted her roommate was still out. Gwen thought briefly about the last time she'd actually seen the girl, and deduced her fellow dorm dweller - April, if she recalled correctly - was either dead or dropped out. Laughing weakly to herself, Gwen pulled back on Peter's jacket and laid down. Reaching into her purse to grab her iPhone, she looked through her messages. Empty. Apparently Flash cared more about boobs and beer than Gwen's departure. Looking at the small red ball alerting her of an e-mail, the girl stared at it for a few minutes before opening it.

**Miss Mayor,**

Before your father asked me to stay away to keep you safe,  
I promised to love and cherish you as long as I live.

**One out of two isn't bad.**

Yours,  
Bug Boy


	3. Only Prettier

It was an incredibly warm day, the summer had hit full swing in the big apple but with the breeze coming off the shore it had been the perfect day. It was a few weeks after graduation, almost three months since her father's death, and Gwen was getting ready to leave for her summer overseas. It was a trip that had been planned and paid for since the beginning of her senior year, and while everything distracting her in the city was something to get away from, the girl was hesitant to leave her newly widowed mother and younger brothers. Unable to talk her mother out of refunding the tickets and cancelling the arrangements, Gwen begrudgingly agreed to back packing through Europe. She had two days left before her plane left, and everything was already packed and ready to go. She'd bid farewell to all her friends, promised her siblings to bring back the coolest souvenirs she could find, and the only thing left to do was to see Peter Parker.

After her father's funeral she had seen him twice outside of school but nothing seemed to change. Their fiery relationship had fizzled out before it had even begun when the captain was killed in action, and Peter seemed to blame himself. No matter how hard she tried to explain to him that it wasn't and that he was the reason so many people in New York were alive and well, it hadn't mattered. He was even more depressed than when his uncle Ben died shortly before that. Gwen chose to stop fighting the losing battle, allowing Peter to take his time to come to terms with things on his own, but before she left for the summer she felt obligated to talk to him one last time. Sending a text message to ask Peter to meet her in the park that afternoon, Gwen set off to pack a small picnic for them before readying herself for the afternoon. She had expected it to be emotionally taxing, but if she didn't go through with it, she would surely regret it the entire summer. As it was, exploring Europe by herself was going to be tragic enough – she didn't need to add anything to make it more miserable.

Arriving early to set out the blanket and food, Gwen had no idea how to even arrive at the topic she needed to address with Peter, but she figured the longer she drew it out, the more time the two could spend together. It was ridiculous to want to be around someone so badly that had no interest in being around you. Every time Gwen tried to come up to Peter in the hallway after he recovered from saving the city, he looked like he was in physical pain just talking to her. She hoped that passed in the weeks they'd been out of school but only time would tell. Smiling as she felt his presence suddenly, the blonde shook her head, letting loose strands fall in her face. Reaching up to adjust the skinny strap of her coral sundress, Gwen reached into the basket with her other to pull out a bottle of water. Tossing it behind her, she took the other one out for herself before reclining on the blanket.

"You really need to stop doing that."

Turning to look at a calm looking Peter, Gwen smiled warmly at the boy who appeared out of nowhere. His silent, sudden arrivals were something she'd grown used to, and albeit scary at times when she wasn't expecting him to just pop up, Gwen missed it. Feeling her nose unvoluntarily scrunch in disapproval at the black skinny jeans her friend was sporting, the girl shook her head as she toyed with her bottle cap.

"Those jeans look miserable. I'm hot just looking at you."

Opening the bottle to take a quick drink, Gwen choked on it when the boy finally spoke, doing her best not to spit it out though the idea of aspirating wasn't too swell either.

"My, my, Miss Stacy.. so brazen."

She had attempted to throw a nearby grape at his head, but with his spider-like reflexes, he had no problem catching it in his mouth. She honestly didn't know why she bothered. Popping one into her mouth as well, she continued studying the incredibly cautious looking boy for a while as they sat in silence. She knew it wouldn't take long for him to start prying as to why she wanted him there, but before she could scare him off with her words, she needed one last kiss. The idea of only kissing Peter one more time for the rest of her life was depressing, so she settled with the promise of it just being an "until next time" one.

Pushing herself onto her knees, Gwen took her friend's face in her small hands when he began to speak. She knew what he was going to ask but she hadn't wanted to stop to listen. Studying his face like it was the most interesting thing on the planet – because in that moment, it very much was – Gwen let herself lean into Peter, her lips lightly pressing against his as her arms wrapped securely around his neck. If she could stay in that moment forever, holding onto him with all her strength and not taking a second to breathe, she very well might be the happiest girl alive.

To onlookers it probably appeared as though the young couple was deliriously in love, unable to keep their hands off each other as they fell into the grass, Gwen on top of Peter, still holding onto him as if her life depended on it. His arms had finally found their way to her waist, securely holding her body against his own as he gave up the internal fight he had been waging. Giving in and kissing Gwen Stacy was surprisingly more difficult than most anything he'd ever done. After Captain Stacy had saved Peter's life, it was the least he could do to honor the man's dying wish to protect his daughter by staying away. Surely Peter couldn't be held responsible for this, though. The Captain had to know how stubborn his daughter was – he lived with her for 18 years! Still, despite his internal turmoil, it felt like seventh heaven to have the petite girl in his arms again, his mouth desperately kissing over hers as they lay in the grassy knoll.

It was Gwen who'd finally broken the embrace, although it was reluctant, she knew that if she hadn't, the possibility of them being put in jail for indecent exposure was going to be a very likely possibility. Straightening out her dress as she settled back onto the blanket, the beautiful blonde had something new in her eyes – hope, possibly? Whatever it was, it was making her radiate. Still nervous, but fueled with a newfound purpose, Gwen knew after kissing Peter like that, there was no way in the world he didn't still have feelings for her. Holding onto his hands as she watched his face studiously, Gwen took her leap.

"Please stop looking for trouble, Peter. The police can handle it, and whatever they cant, it will somehow find a way of being resolved. The city doesnt care about your safety, I do. If anything happened to you... I'd die. I love you, Peter. Please.. Stay out of trouble."

Dropping her head to stare at the pattern of the blanket once she was free of the burden of withholding such a confession, Gwen heaved a heavy sigh, knowing that she was most likely not going to hear it in return. What she didn't expect, however, was for Peter to look so wounded when she glanced back in his direction. It was as if she had kicked him in the stomach like Flash did during his bullying days. That was not what she expected at all. Frowning with confusion, Gwen forced herself to turn away, quickly re-packing the untouched picnic and carefully rising to her feet. Peter continued to sit in his mute state, staring at the ground with his hands clasped on his lap. How was her confession of love making him look like a prisoner of war?! Storming off, Gwen had vowed to clear her head of Peter during her time in Europe.

That memory haunted Gwen every day, until the night she received Peter's e-mail after the ridiculous party Flash made her go to. How could someone divulge that kind of information in a two sentence e-mail? If she wasn't so pleased to know that Peter shared her feelings, she might very well beat him senseless for his insensitivity. The party and the e-mail that followed had been two miserable weeks ago, and for two weeks Gwen had continuously stared at the e-mail wondering how to reply to such a thing. For two weeks, she continued to let Flash think that she was content dating him when her heart was clearly Peter's to have and to hold if he so chose. For two weeks, Gwen continued to get word from various sources that Peter was still spending time with the red-headed whore she met at the party. So for that, Gwen spent the past two weeks suffering in silence at the idea of the overly friendly, ridiculously unintelligent girl flaunting everything she had in front of _her_ bug boy.

As Gwen mulled over the miserable state of her love life while walking through the campus to her next class, she barely noticed as one of her newest yet most lovable friends came barreling towards her. Looking up just in time to get clothes lined, Gwen laughed brightly as she swung around and eventually fell into a big embrace, hugging and being hugged.

"Gwendy, my Gwendy, I cannot tell you how I've missed you!"

Smacking the boy in his side as he teased her, Gwen pulled one of her arms away to turn to stand beside the man. Harry Osborn had started at the university around the same time Gwen did, and as luck would have it, the two had the majority of the same classes together for two straight semesters. He was a very charming boy with a great sense of humor, albeit a little dry. He came from a well to-do family, and upon realizing their shared ties to Oscorp, they immediately hit it off. Gwen had an unwavering feeling that Harry was interested in being more than a friend for a while, but it eventually dissipated and the two were now like brother and sister. Harry was the one she went to in times of crisis to talk it out, and while he knew of Peter by stories, he had never heard much about him as a person. Gwen liked to keep it that way on the off chance the two actually met and hit it off. As it were, Gwen was starting to think Harry and Peter might very well be remarkably good for each other.

Listening to Harry go on and on about his pathetic excuse for a weekend since he hadn't seen her Monday or Tuesday to catch her up on the gossip, Gwen followed her friend into the lecture hall where they had to suffer through the entirely incompetent drabble of a professor that wasn't fit to teach grade schoolers let alone undergrads. Taking her place next to Harry in the back of the class, the girl swatted at her friend to be quiet for a moment as she reached into her vibrating skirt pocket. Pulling her phone out to read the text message, she froze as she read it over and over again.

Flash: **I look good in camo babe**

Gwen: **Excuse me?**

Flash: **I'M IN THE ARMY LOOK**

Staring at the attached picture of her pseudo boyfriend with a stupid grin and papers which she assumed were enlisting paper work, Gwen looked terrified as she turned to Harry and handed him her phone.

"Why do people think it's okay to give epic news via text or e-mail?!"

Sighing heavily with frustration as she took her phone back, she couldn't mask her grin as Harry laughed at the picture, making a rude comment about how some people shouldn't be able to be trusted with fire arms. Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Gwen spent the duration of the period talking with her friend, trying to throw around ideas on what to do with her current predicament and by the end of the two hour lecture, all Harry and Gwen came up with was the idea of a party.

"No, Gwendy I'm serious, throw it. You'll make his day that way when you break up with him it won't be so devastating. You can invite _Petey_ and his little trollop and show him you're equally as capable of being fun and sexy without looking like a hooker or irresponsible party girl. Honestly, it's just brilliant."

Promising to discuss it more in detail over dinner, Gwen abandoned Harry to finish out her day of classes. Through her Physics lecture, all the girl could think about was how horrible she was with organizing things like get togethers, so an actual college party would just spell disaster. After racking her and Harry's brain, Gwen finally decided to take on the challenge her friend put forth. Allowing Harry to talk her into using his lavish apartment, which was luckily not far from campus, Gwen enlisted her cousin Jill for the arduous task of helping plan the whole thing. If Mary Jane and Gwen were to combine their brains, beauty, bust, and party girl person, Jill would be that marriage of attributes.

For the next week and a half Gwen used her free time to collaborate with Harry and Jill, getting food, drinks and decorations lined up. Gwen was surprisingly pleased with how the whole thing was panning out. Losing the battle with Jill to make fliers or invites, the trio agreed e-mail and texting was the easiest way to alert their friends and Flash's buddies of the gathering. Surprisingly everything had come together pretty easily, even the retrieval of contacts from her quasi boyfriend's phone. On the following Friday evening, all systems were a-go, Harry's lavish apartment was prepped and ready, people filling the large penthouse ready to surprise Flash.

The only complication Gwen faced in the whole surprise party scenario, surprisingly, was getting Flash to it. She hadn't counted on the new military recruit to want to stay in, but luckily with her already dressed to the nines with the excuse of a small dinner date with her friend Harry to introduce him to Flash, the man wasn't hard to convince. She had listened to her dear friend when he suggested she show Mary Jane up in front of Peter and show that she was just as equally sexy and fun. Gwen, abandoning her normal retro-chic attire, had gone shopping with the specific intention of buying something she wouldn't normally wear. The result was a strapless, mid-thigh length navy dress with a large sequin detailed bow over her chest. It was beautiful, and she felt, sexier than anything she'd ever owned. Still, it wasn't stripper-esc like the one she'd seen Mary Jane wear at the previous party, but even if she wanted, Gwen couldn't pull something like that off.

"Flash, come on, I promised we'd go, I don't want to let him down! I promise we can bum around tomorrow."

Tugging at the large man's muscular arm in attempts to get him off the couch he was glued to in his crumby apartment, Gwen let go as her friend stood up, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, fine. You better be ready to watch cartoons and eat junk food all day tomorrow, Stacy."

Clapping with excitement, Gwen quickly ushered Flash to his bedroom and shut the door as she waited for him to change into something more suitable than sweatpants and a t-shirt. Fifteen minutes later, the freshly shaven man returned, sporting a form fitting light blue dress shirt, dark navy pants and a navy tie to match. Even being purely interested in Peter Parker, Gwen could not deny the man in front of her was absolutely gorgeous. Biting her lip to mask her growing grin, she grabbed her friend to quickly drag him out of the house, knowing that if he tried to kiss her in the moment, her powers of refusal might be swayed.

Pulling her phone out of her clutch to quickly text Harry and let him know they were on their way, Gwen found herself increasingly giddy about the party, and not just to see Peter. After a week and a half of hard planning, she was getting ready to actually enjoy a party she had put together. It wasn't entirely on her own, of course, but it was still quite the feat for her. Looking over to Flash who was staring at the city lights with great amusement, Gwen smiled warmly to herself. Flash was a good guy, and if it weren't for her heart's unwavering devotion to Peter Parker, she might very well be able to date him. Unfortunately, tonight would probably be the last night she was alone with the man in a romantic-based setting. Reaching in to grab a twenty to toss to the driver as he delivered them at the sky rise that was Harry's apartment, she quickly patted Flash's leg before sliding gracefully out of the cab. Taking Flash's hand once he walked around to join her on the curb, she looked up to the top of the building while fighting the urge to bounce with excitement.

"So how do you know this Harry guy?"

"Well, his dad is the president at Oscorp where I intern, and we've had the same classes pretty much since the start of university.. we just kind of became instant friends. I think you'll like him, he's really funny."

Dragging Flash out of the elevator, she could tell he wasn't entirely thrilled with this "dinner date", possibly even jealous, but as soon as the door opened with their arrival, all anxiety was washed away. Watching her friend laugh, she let him drop her hand and abandon her to greet the dozens of guests that were eagerly waiting his arrival. Looking around to find Harry, she quickly joined him in the kitchen, hugging and kissing his cheeks with excitement.

"I can't believe we pulled this off!"

"Right?! Good work, Gwendy."

Swatting her friend's arm at his ridiculous nickname for her, she held on securely to it as she looked around the open room full of people.

"I don't think he's here yet, sweetheart. I haven't let in any red-headed tramps yet."

Turning to look at Harry, she knew he could sense her nervousness, so his deflection with humor was graciously accepted. Kissing his cheek quickly, Gwen abandoned him to make her rounds, greeting the few people she did know before joining Flash in a small group of incredibly tall, muscular men. Fellow basketball players, she assumed. Leaning into her friend as his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulder, Gwen smiled and laughed appropriately as the boys joked about things, hassling Flash about abandoning them in their time of need to go fight overseas. Looking up with shock as he announced to them he'd be leaving for boot camp in a couple weeks, Gwen found herself smacking his rock hard abdomen as she playfully glared at him. He hadn't told her, but then again she had been a bit busy lately to really sit down and have a real conversation with the man. Leaving him to mingle, Gwen went to check on the status of the food and alcohol before rejoining Harry who was now talking to her cousin, Jill.

"I could use some Pinot."

Smiling expectantly at Harry, he rolled his eyes before bowing out like a respectful butler. Laughing warmly at him, she found herself linking arms with the brunette next to her as she continually scanned the room.

"What if he doesn't come? I mean it wouldn't all be a waste, clearly Flash is enjoying himself…"

"Oh calm yourself, blondie. The red harlot probably demanded they show up fashionably late, and couldn't decide between wearing her super slutty stripper dress, or her ultra slutty hooker ensemble."

Laughing with her cousin, the girls happily rejoined Harry as he brought Gwen back a drink in one of the red plastic cups everyone was carrying. Oh, that was classy. Shaking her head at her friend, she froze as his expression did. He rarely looked serious, so for something to sober him was surprising.

"Gwendy.." Reaching over to take her hand, a playful grin finally relaxed his stern expression, equally so relaxing Gwen. "Either a bachelor party in the building is missing their entertainment or.."

Snapping her head in the direction her friend was looking, Gwen felt her stomach tighten and breathing hitch at the sight of the new guests. It wasn't so much the too tight, too short, too low cut green dress Mary Jane was wearing as much as the semi-formal outfit Peter was donning. For the life of her, Gwen couldn't remember seeing her friend in anything but jeans and t-shirts with the occasional button up. This Peter, however, was breathtakingly and made the awe she felt previously in looking at Flash, all cleaned up, fail miserably in comparison. Black on black never looked better, and even if his date had dressed him, Gwen couldn't be happier.

"Gwendy.. breathe honey."

Nodding as Harry shook her arm gently as to not spill her wine, his warm laugh brought her back to reality, forcing her to tear her gaze away from her long lost love.

"Is that Peter?"

"Yes. I was just… surprised to see him like that. I didn't think he owned a suit jacket."

Clearing her throat as she did her best to return to a normal functioning state, her cheeks still flush with the flood of emotions and suggestive thoughts that accompanied seeing Peter looking so handsome, Gwen excused herself quickly to cross the room and greet them. Peter might know a handful of people, but Mary Jane would surely know them all. While the slutty ginger didn't go to school with them, she worked at a local restaurant that almost everyone went to. Being overly friendly and notorious for dating around, Gwen was sure at least half of the party's guests had been all too familiar with the waitress.

"That's the first suit I've seen you in that doesn't make your butt look big."

Keeping the most neutral expression possible as she joined Peter's side, Gwen was grateful that his date had already abandoned him to go weep over Flash, no doubt offering herself as a departing gift. Upon closer inspection, the girl wasn't surprised at all that while his black dress shirt, tie, and suit jacket were all formal - his black pants were in fact jeans. Shaking her head at the man, she smiled at him as her arm linked with his, feeling the connection sending immediate waves of warmth through her body. At least he had the good sense to wear dress shoes.

"I want to introduce you to someone. I think you'll really hit it off."

Guiding her stolen date to Harry and Jill, Gwen couldn't hide the fact she was absolutely radiant with excitement. Refusing to let go of Peter's arm as she introduced him to Harry and her cousin, she pulled away reluctantly as the boys immediately found common ground. Looking over the status of the food and drinks once more, Gwen grabbed one of the quickly emptying bowls of chips and retreated to the kitchen to rectify the situation. Humming quietly along to the music steadily playing through the speakers, the quiet blonde nearly dropped the ceramic bowl as she turned to find a face full of Mary Jane.

"Oh, hi. Didn't see you there. What's up?"

"Oh, hi, is right. What's up is your scrawny ass came and stole Peter right from under me the minute we walked in. When are you going to get it through your bleach blonde hair that he made up his mind? You're out, I'm in, deal with it."

Watching the girl teeter out on her all-too-high stilettos, Gwen waited a few moments before following suit. Had she just been threatened? Reminding herself quickly that it was Gwen who had the e-mail to prove Peter in fact did love her, not the whore, and while they were dating other people, their hearts lay elsewhere.

Returning the bowl to its rightful place, Gwen debated rejoining Harry, Jill and Peter but quickly opted out when she saw Mary Jane had taken her place on Peter's arm. Looking across the room to see Flash talking to a new small crowd of people, Gwen retreated to the kitchen, finishing off her first cup of wine before topping it off again. Tonight was supposed to be her chance to show Peter she could be sexy and fun, yet there she was sulking in the kitchen with her wine. It was actually quite pathetic. Mentally urging herself to snap out of it, Gwen took a deep breath to steady herself before planting a bright, fake smile on her face and rejoining the crowd. Crossing over to stand next to Harry, her arm linking with his as she greeted everyone else, she looked to Mary Jane and Peter's empty hands.

"Oh, can I get you guys anything to drink?"

Suppressing her nausea as Mary Jane leaned over and squeezed Gwen's free hand, cooing something about her being such a dear, the blonde did her best to avoid making eye contact with Peter, knowing her anger and sulking demeanor would quickly return.

"I'll have a Jack and Diet Coke, if you would be so kind, sweetheart. Petey, what do you want, baby?"

Staring at the red-head with her glued on smile, Gwen couldn't have felt more unhappy if she tried. Was this bitch honestly trying to make her jealous?! _Sorry, sweetheart, but he doesn't love you_ was the only thought Gwen could conjure to keep her from swinging at the girl.

"I'll have whatever you're having, _Gwendy_."

Hearing Harry's nickname come out of Peter's mouth didn't evoke the rage it normally did, in fact it was pretty endearing. Laughing brightly as her cheeks flushed, she found herself free to make eye contact with her former flame as she took in his expression. It was as if he could read her mind and knew she had been uneasy about him being hung on like a cheap coat rack by his even cheaper date, but the way he was looking at Gwen, his playful tone, it all quenched her anxiety. There was no way he was going to be with that tart for long.

Leaving the group to grab two drinks, she found herself side by side with Flash at the bar. Playfully knocking her arm against his, she was pleased to find that he was enjoying himself immensely. Allowing him to carry Mary Jane's drink as she held two cups of wine for herself and Peter, she urged her date to come and meet Harry who Flash was less than enthused to find out was a real person. Standing next to Harry once more, Gwen handed over Peter's drink as Flash left her side to give Mary Jane hers. Unable to catch whatever he mumbled to her, she surprised herself with the spark of jealousy she felt as the two giggled together quietly. Was this bitch going to take her date _and_ her bug boy? Oh hell no.

"Flash, I want you to meet Harry. Harry, I'm sure the always polite Mr. Parker introduced you to his lovely date, Mary Jane Watson."

Sipping her wine to mask her amusement as Flash and Harry shook hands, Harry looked confused as he looked to Mary Jane who had turned to batting her eyelashes at the apartment owner. Seriously?! Pick a man, bitch.

"Actually, Peter and I got lost in the discussion of kinematics. I don't believe I got the pleasure of being introduced to this lovely young lady."

Watching Harry turn on the charm full force, Gwen didn't even try to mask her amusement as he kissed Mary Jane's hand, sending the first blush to the harlot's cheeks she'd seen. Looking quickly to Flash, who wasn't amused, and then to Peter, Gwen's entertained expression quickly got serious as she realized Peter's gaze hadn't left Gwen since she gave him his drink.

"I could talk biomechanics all day."

Peter's comment seemed to only be directed towards Gwen, and even if other people had wanted to chime in, she wouldn't have heard them. Smiling sweetly at her friend, Gwen shifted her weight to get comfortable in her heels.

"You're not intimidated by robots, Mr. Parker?"

Knowing only the two of them would understand the double entendre, Gwen smirked knowingly at her friend as he laughed brightly and shook his head. His grin, charming as ever, was making her lightheaded. It was either that or the third cup of wine she was currently working on.

"No, but reptiles still make me a little squeamish."

Giggling almost madly, Gwen forced herself to down more of her drink before looking around to the group who had fallen silent and was staring at them in their exchange. Thanking all things holy when a friendly brunette came to steal Flash again, Gwen was only left with the awkward tension being emitted from her least favorite ginger.

"Mary Jane, where _did_ you get your dress? I love it. It's all boho-chic meets str—"

Quickly cut off by the bomb-defusing Harry Osborn, Gwen kept her smile glued as her friend took Mary Jane away from the group on the premise of wanting to dance with her. Jill had somehow managed to bow out without being noticed, leaving Gwen alone with just Peter.

"You are really attractive when you're hostile, Gwendy."

"Thanks, Petey."

"You know, I hate that name, but it sounds much better off your tongue than hers."

"Are you sure it's safe to speak ill of your date? She is just over there."

Nodding to the small opening where Mary Jane had begun dancing with Harry, the two silently watched as the red-head made poor Harry her human stripper pole. Rolling her eyes, Gwen immediately flinched as the spider-like speed of her friend snatched her drink to set down and pulled her with him across the room to the wall of windows separating the open living area from the stone balcony. Exiting the crowded room with Peter, hopefully undetected, Gwen immediately shivered. The high altitude and cool night was no match for her strapless dress. In what felt like what motion, Peter had his suit jacket off, wrapped around Gwen's shoulders and his arm around her waist pulling her chest to his.

"I've always wanted to dance with you, Miss Stacy. May I have the honor?"

"Oh, Mr. Parker. I thought you'd never ask."

Feigning a horrible but proper southern accent, Gwen giggled softly against her friend's shoulder as she leaned into him, securely holding his body to hers with one arm as the other held his hand. Letting him guide her in a slow but steady waltz, Gwen could barely hear the music from the party inside, but she was fairly certain it wasn't slow enough for this. Still, even without music, her first dance with Peter was without debate – perfect. The stars, the comfortable silence as they glided across the stone balcony, the heat of his body keeping Gwen warm was all too much. Nuzzling her head against his shoulder and letting her eyes fall shut as he lead her in careful circles, it was if he knew that her wine had already taken affect and was steady enough to not make her queasy. Feeling their peaceful rhythm halt suddenly, Gwen opened her eyes just barely in time to see the lights of not just Harry's apartment, but practically the entire city flicker. Turning around to look over the normally brightly lit skyline, Gwen felt immediate panic as all the lights returned except for one of the largest buildings. Stark Tower was supposed to be self-sustaining, so how was it the only lightless one in the city of electricity? Anxiety flooded Gwen's face as she felt Peter's lips against her cheek.

"I have to go. I'll see you later, I promise."

As fast as she could turn to look to her friend, Peter was gone.


	4. Electric Feel

There were few upsides to wearing spandex from head to toe, one of the most helpful being that you could wear it under practically anything. It made the transition from the typical party guest to the masked vigilante quite fluid. Leaving the suit folded neatly in the corner of Harry's apartment building's roof, Peter made his way to Stark tower, swinging effortlessly from one sky scraper to the next with the assistance of his super strength webbing. Landing on the roof, Peter let himself in through the roofs access which also happened to be an entry to Mr. Tony Stark's personal office. The time to dwell over the magnificent man's work was not now, sadly. Forcing himself into the stairwell, he quickly attached to the railing before letting himself freefall down the center of the winding staircase, a good thirty stories with only a 0.03 centimeter wide cable holding him – no, not scary at all. Landing like a cat on his hands and bent legs, he quickly looked around to see if anything was out of place. _Think, think, think_ the generator had to be in the basement, thus the only logical place to go.

Immediately something was off as Peter scaled around the corner, attaching himself to the wall to remain as quiet as spider-humanly possible. There was no light anywhere in the basement, yet there was a bright glowing coming from the end of one of the corridors. _Please… stay out of trouble_. Why was it that Gwen Stacy's voice always rang in his ears when he was about to try and protect their fine city from inevitable doom? Making his way impossibly fast alongside the wall to the source of the light, Peter stopped a couple yards away when he could finally get a decent look at what it was. It was as if the Green Giant had fornicated with a starfish and a WWE wrestler at the same time. What the hell was this thing? Whatever it was, he was absolutely glowing, and it was in no way a reflection of any feelings Peter might have for the masked figure.

"My dear, you're glowing!"

Quickly dodging out of the way as the human glow stick pointed his way, sending a bolt of electricity out of his squid-like finger, Peter rolled across the floor, again landing with his hands and bent legs securely attached to the surface. How was he supposed to fight something he couldn't physically touch?! Surveying the area once more for something to try and attach the man to, Peter was again forced to roll out of the way to avoid being struck by lightning.

"Just leave now, boy. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Dodging another stray bolt of electricity, Peter let small balls of webbing fly, splaying across the man's face before burning from the heat of the energy and dripping to the floor.

"Who you callin' boy, Patrick? Spongebob can't save you now."

That was it! Water! Rolling out of the way before being electrocuted, Peter swung down the hallway back to the opening he came in from. Looking around to assess for piping, he pulled himself up and bent the welding apart, letting the Stark tower's water bill skyrocket as the piping burst, immediately pouring it's contents out onto the floor. Unfortunately for Peter, the not-so-jolly Green Giant moved a lot faster than he anticipated. Luckily, the shock of his lightning bolt only burned for a moment before Peter dropped to the flooding basement floor, passing out.

Though he hadn't had many, Peter woke with what felt like the worst hangover of his young life. Expecting to be still laying in a pool of Stark's water supply, he was shocked, and instantly anxious when he realized he was dry and laying on a soft surface. Jerking his head to the side to look around, he took in several things in a moment. He was in dry clothes. Clothes that were not made of spandex and in no way covered his face. The soft surface he was on happened to be a very lavish couch that probably cost more than his entire supply of Oscorp webbing. The room he was in was recognizable, and after several moments he finally realized not only where he was, but how safe he was there. Tony Stark entered almost on cue, as if Peter's realization had summoned the man somehow. Hurriedly reaching up to touch his own face, the young boy realized his identity was in no way hidden from this billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Anxiety quickly flooded over him once more.

"You're much younger than I expected."

Peter sat mute as he graciously took the cup of coffee from his savior. If he wasn't in custody that meant somehow he had been moved before security had let the cops into the basement of Stark tower. The lights in Mr. Stark's office being on alerted Peter that the starfish-masked villain had not succeeded in taking the electricity he had honed while in the tower's basement.

"Did you get the other guy?"

Peter's voice was hoarser than he remembered.

"You're welcome for saving your freedom and possibly your life, and no, Peter, we didn't. I believe he managed to escape right before I arrived and detained security."

"Oh. Thank you, sir. Very much, I really appreciate… wait, how do you know me?"

"Ah, simple background check, dna blood analysis, the usual. You've been passed out for a couple hours now."

Looking around in vain to find a clock, Peter repositioned himself on the couch. His body was sore but not impossible to move. He needed to get out there and find out who the fishy green guy was.

"So, Peter.. tell me about your gift. Clearly you're not the average college student. That suit of yours, and those gadgets.. very impressive, by the way. Did you create them yourself?"

Tony Stark. Complimenting him? This night, with the exception of the echinoderm, was turning out to be pretty fantastic.

"Not much to tell, sir. We think it was the result of being bitten by a radioactive spider when I was at Oscorp."

"We..?"

"My girl- my friend, she's a girl. She works at Oscorp. She was there when I.. well, she knows who I am."

"Ah."

Figuring the story behind his father's work with cross species genetics, his history with science, and brief work at the science power house Gwen worked at was unimportant, Peter omitted the details to keep it brief.

"I've been toying with robotics since I was a kid."

"You and me both, Mr. Parker. So tell me, this habit of yours to take down bad guys.. just a hobby of yours or is there some elaborate story behind it?"

Tony Stark likening himself to Peter Parker? Surely he had died and this was in fact heaven. Laughing at the older man's question, Peter shook his head, finding himself bashful for once in the careful examination of the richest man in New York City.

"I wouldn't say it's a hobby, but no, sir, no juicy story to divulge. I guess it's just an obligation I feel I have. To the city, and myself. Bad things happen all the time, and I'm able to help defuse them. It would be irresponsible to ignore them and keep living my life as if nothing was going on. I guess my aunt and uncle raised me to not be selfish."

Hoping he wasn't conveying some kind of superiority as he weakly tried to explain himself, Peter figured if anyone could understand what he did, it would be Mr. Stark. The man donated millions of dollars to organizations to help those less fortunate, gave up weapons manufacturing and distribution in hopes of making the world a better place, and often spoke out against the unjust actions of those around the world. Shit. Tony Stark and Peter were more alike than he realized!

"That's very noble of you, Peter. You know, there's this team…"

"I'm more of a solo act kind of guy, but I'm sure anything that you are recommending is top notch. Say, do you think I can get my suit back? I really need to get out of here. I mean, it's been an honor meeting you, and I've wanted to ask you a million questions forever, but I really need to find this jerk that tried to steal all your building's energy. I don't want him going even bigger next time."

The idea of the starfish fiend stealing the entire city's energy supply made Peter's heart quicken. There was nothing he could physically do to stop him aside from hosing him down, but if the boy could somehow apprehend this green guy before he turned into a ball of fire again, the city might be safe. Making a mental note to get rubber gloves, he nodded his thanks to Mr. Stark as he crossed the vast room to grab the bag on his desk. He'd gift wrapped Peter's belongings? This guy really was incredible.

"Obviously I can't stop you from risking your life for the city, but be careful. You can probably rest easy tonight, though. I'm thinking after taking in so much power at one time, the guy you saw is probably exhausted to the point of immobility. Probably used all his strength to get home and crashed."

"Thank you sir. I have no clue where to even start looking."

"I'd try Con Ed, but that's just me. Good luck, Mr. Parker. It was wonderful meeting such a brave young man. Feel free to stop by and ask those questions anytime. Oh, and Peter..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Your secret is safe with me."

Giving Tony Stark a blank stare had never been on this to-do list, yet there he was, dumbfounded in front of one of the greatest men of his generation. Shaking his hand eagerly, Peter thanked him again before grabbing his bag and taking the elevator down to get out. Even if he had the energy to put on his suit and swing around buildings it wasn't worth it. Assessing the sweatpants and Stark hoodie Tony had given him, Peter started back to Harry's to get his clothes before making his trip to campus. There were still people at the party, though the size had diminished significantly. Changing back into his black clothes, he shoved the borrowed clothes into the bag as well, choosing to keep his Stark sweatshirt as a souvenir.

Sitting on the ledge of the balcony to assess the remaining guests, mainly to see if Gwen had left yet, Peter saw that his date was there, dancing the night away with Harry still. Flash and Gwen were nowhere to be seen, and thus there was no reason for him to stay. Dropping to the sidewalk, Peter hailed a cab, figuring driving was probably the most human way to Gwen's dormitory. Arriving in record time despite the current state of the streets with flickering stop lights, Peter looked around several times to make sure the coast was clear before scaling down the wall and stopping below Gwen's bedroom window. Tapping the glass lightly, he was fairly certain that the girl hadn't brought Flash back and it was safe to enter. Swinging into the dark room as she cautiously opened her window, he was greeted by happy laughter. It was the best sound he could possibly recall.

"I didn't think you were going to show."

"I made a promise, didn't I?"

Setting the bag Tony had given him on the floor by Gwen's nightstand, Peter mumbled an apology before he let his arms envelop the nightgown clad blond. Hugging her body securely to his own, he couldn't think of a better feeling than having her so close, knowing without a doubt she was safe. People say before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. Tonight, with flashes before his eyes, the only vision he had was of Gwen. Laughing, pouting, sleeping, scared, happy Gwen faces sped in front of his face before he hit the water. He figured her presence in his mind was the only thing that made the lightning burning through his veins moderately tolerable.

"Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong."

Allowing Gwen to gently stroke his sore back, Peter pulled away to hold his friend at arm's length. It was crazy how she could look as stunning as she did tonight in her cocktail dress under the moon, yet still exude that same beauty in the darkened room with her hair down, in just a nightgown.

"I have. I keep failing to honor your father by staying away from you. I feel awful."

"Peter, stop. Right now, I mean it! It was unfair for him to ask you such a thing, and it's impossible for you to keep it! It's like if my grandfather had asked him to stay away from my mom to keep her safe. You can't help who you love. He knew that marrying my mom, constantly putting her in danger of losing him, just as you being with me puts me in danger of losing you."

"Gwen.."

Watching her eyes close as his large hand covered her cheek, brushing her hair away to allow his thumb access to her cheekbone. It was like beating a dead horse with the girl – him explaining why her father was right, her assuring him that her crazy father didn't mean it.

"He doesn't want you in the line of fire. I can understand him wanting to keep you safe at all costs."

"Peter.."

Gwen's voice had a new found sternness to it, and for the first time in his life, he actually wanted to cower in her presence.

"You could just as easily take me on a date, we could be mugged, shot and killed. With you, I'm safe. I'm never out of danger, with or without you staying away. Alistaire was a perfect example of that. But at least when you're with me, I have you to protect me."

Peter knew as well as Gwen that while she was small in stature she was as much of a self rescuing princess as Leia. Even without super human powers, Gwen Stacy was a force to be reckoned with. Peter knew that the thesis of her hypothetical situation was that no matter what, danger could find her, or anyone for that matter. In purely Gwen fashion, however, she had taken his mind away from the strange, bigger than life experiences he'd had tonight, or the all too strenuous topic of conversation, and turned him into an average twenty-year-old.

"You.. want me to? I mean, you didn't but I, we could.. I don't know, we uh—"

"Peter Parker, are you seriously telling me that you can create genetic altering algorithms and take down highly advanced robots but you're incapable of asking me out on a date?"

Laughing nervously as his eyes lowered to the too-old-to-be-safe carpet, Peter shook his head quickly at her presumption.

"No, of course not, I mean, that's ridiculous. I'm totally capable of.. you know, whatever."

"Alright, well, when you dump that all access tramp, I'll let you properly ask me."

Laughing warmly at the girl, Peter stood still for a few moments, trying to decide if he should stay or go, and half expecting Gwen to make his decision for him. Watching her small hands move over his shirt, he vaguely remembered giving her his jacket. He wondered how Flash felt about that. Watching her deft fingers undo his tie, Peter let his friend remove it from his neck before working on the top buttons of his shirt. With this, he assumed he was staying.

"Miss Stacy.. audacious as ever.."

Cursing himself for teasing her, he looked on with disapproval as she stopped unbuttoning his shirt and turned to her dresser. Continuing the work for her, Peter quietly kicked his shoes off, letting them join his bag by her nightstand.

"I'm teasing, come back. Though, I don't imagine your boyfriend would be too keen on you undressing strange men in your bedroom in the middle of the night."

Replying to her death glare with an ever so cheeky grin, Peter pulled his arms out of his dress shirt, quickly folding it and laying it on the unoccupied bed of her roommate.

"Well, if I had a boyfriend I'm sure he'd be none too pleased. Here, put this shirt on, your perfectly chiseled stomach disgusts me."

Accepting the teasing much more appropriately than Gwen, Peter ignored the t-shirt his friend handed him, tossing it back to rest with his other shirt. Grabbing the girl's nightgown at the waist to urge her closer to him, Peter took one of her hands with his free one. Guiding it to his stomach, a cocky grin spreading across his face as, even in the dark room only illuminated by the moon, he could see Gwen's cheeks turn a darker shade.

"Really, Miss Stacy? Because I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."

"Oh, Peter.. you know how to turn a girl on. Are you seriously quoting Star Wars to woo me?"

It took all of his restraint to refrain from bursting into a loud, belly aching fit of laughter at Gwen's monotone reply. There was never going to be a girl in the world that had this girl's intelligence, humor, wit, beauty, or charm. Gwen Stacy was without a doubt one of a kind.

"I know what girls like, what can I say? So, now that you've seen mine, are you going to show me yours?"

"Peter, I swear to God, if you don't shut up I'm going to punch you."

Groaning at the idea of being hit, though he was sure she couldn't pack too much of a punch, his sore body knew he couldn't handle even that. Moving to wrap his long arms around her waist, he let Gwen close the space between them this time.

"Why do you abuse me so? I know they say you only hurt the ones you love, but geez."

"It is so late. I've been exhausting myself waiting to see if you were alright. Can't we just lay down? You can keep trying to be funny there."

Feigning an offended grimace, Peter nodded and moved away to allow his friend to crawl in her bed. Looking to the spare mattress, his eyes couldn't help but return to the half of Gwen's she had left unoccupied. Unbuttoning his jeans, he nervously let them fall to the floor. She had seen him in next to nothing, along with the rest of the world, in his skin tight spidey-suit, why was he shy in his loose fitting boxers? Reaching over to take the t-shirt she gave him, Peter held it up to examine if it was worth wearing. Gwen's shorter frame made the owner look comfortable in it, but for Peter, it would probably look like a mid-drift. Tossing it back on the bed, he stared down at Gwen's curled body under her blanket.

"Are you waiting for a handwritten invitation, Parker? Come on."

"Well I… it's just.. you said.."

Giving up trying to talk his way around his nervousness, he cautiously pulled back his portion of the covers. Any hopes of not getting in Gwen's personal space was gone the moment he realized, even with their slender frames, two people in one twin size bed was impractical if you weren't planning on cuddling. Feeling his body melt into the mattress as Gwen's small arm wrapped over his bare waist, Peter stared at her closed eyes, wondering if she actually expected him to get any sleep.

"How will you not accept a date from me until I 'break up' with Mary Jane, but I'm allowed to sleep in your bed?"

The words were out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying. Kicking himself immediately as her arm retracted from his waist and her eyes opened, Peter offered his best sympathetic look.

"No, no, no... don't kick me out, please. I want to be here. I do. I was just.. curious.."

"A girl doesn't need an explanation for everything, does she?"

With that, she closed the space between them as best as possible. Pressing his body against hers, Peter reached up to rest against her cheek as her mouth ascended to his. Overjoyed as he felt her arm return to his waist, hugging his body tightly against her own, he found the long overdue kiss end far too quickly. Still waiting to fully explore her mouth with his own, he was left with the faint taste of cherry lip balm and the aching of his newly vacated lips instead. Staring in awe and horror as Gwen went back to her previous state, not phased in the least by the first kiss the two had shared in over a year, Peter was completely speechless.

"Go to sleep, you scoundrel."

Feeling a tug at his abandoned lips, Peter kept his hand on Gwen's cheek, brushing his thumb along her features as he studied them despite having memorized them long ago.

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel.. there aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

Laughing quietly as she let out an exasperated sigh, Peter leaned in, letting his forehead press against hers.

"Good night, Han."

Feeling as if his happiness was threatening to split his face in two with his too-wide grin, Peter moved his head, lightly pressing a kiss against Gwen's forehead before resting against the pillow and attempting to act tranquil.

"Sweet dreams, your highness."


End file.
